The Wish List
by lilyme
Summary: Late Season 11. Can two people deeply hurt by events passed overcome their own inihibitions to put a smile on the face of the person they both love most?


**Title: **The Wish List

**Author:**lilyme**  
****Summary: **Late Season 11. Can two people deeply hurt by events passed overcome their own inihibitions to put a smile on the face of the person they both love most?**  
****Characters: **Callie, Arizona, Sofia**  
****Rating:**PG**  
****Disclaimer:**I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Grey's Anatomy". They were created by Shonda Rhimes and belong to her and the ABC network. No copyright infringement intended! All mistakes are mine.

* * *

Hand in hand they walked along the hallway of their house to the living room.

A room that at this time of year resembled a wonderland full of streamers and stars, Santa figures and little elves, twinkly lights and knickknacks of all sorts. And let's not forget the Christmas tree that in its flamboyant festivity dominated it all.

It was the season again. The time to celebrate a few quiet days with your loved ones and look back on the year that has passed.

Honestly... this year had been one she would rather forget. The bad had outweighed the good by far.

Derek had died – leaving her wondering when fate would finally stop taking her friends long before their time. Meredith was still God knows where as a result of wanting to deal with this loss on her own.

And on the most personal level... her second marriage had failed this year. And she was still trying to cope.

This divorce was the hardest decision she ever had to make. She loved Arizona. Had always loved her, even when she had hated her.

And she would forever love her, no matter how they would go through the rest of their life. Wherever and to whom it would lead them. She knew that it gave them both the chance to be free and be the best they could be. And if that meant spending their lives apart to accomplish that, then it had to be this way.

One thing was certain, however. They would always share a deep connection. Especially since they were both parents. To a little girl that was still too young to fully comprehend the changes in her family.

As much as they tried to shield Sofia from the harshness of the break-up, it naturally still was bound to have an impact on her. Sofia had noticed that her parents were behaving differently with each other. And it was hard and confusing.

Especially at times like these.

She looked at Sofia, who was walking beside her in unusual quietness. A somberness on her face that did not fit a four-year old. "Are you excited to see what Santa brought you?"

"Um-hm," Sofia returned as they reached the living room. Which indeed held various presents of all shapes and sizes, ready to be unwrapped.

The girl had written a list to Santa. Well, more like drawn pictures of what she wished for. And she was confident that Santa had laid out most of what she wanted under the tree. Maybe more.

But one wish Santa didn't seem to have managed to fulfill – this was made clear with even just a minute glance around the room.

Callie noticed the lost look, and it tore at her heart. In her position as one of Santa's secret helpers she had of course read the list. Read that one wish that – considering this year's events – seemed impossible to realize.

Or had seemed that way at the first moment. But after a few days of mulling on it, she had understood that it would be doable.

And a ring on the door would in a few seconds make this wish come true.

"Wanna see who's at the door?" Callie asked her daughter and gave her her most encouraging smile. And when Sofia still seemed sceptical, she added, "Maybe one of Santa's presents is late".

Sofia's face slowly lightened at the suggestion and she walked to the door.

To greet... "Mami!" she squealed as soon as she had managed to pull the door open and see the blonde outside.

Different than her and Mama, who were both still wearing their fluffy Christmas pyjamas – Sofia's being bright red with little Santas and snowmen, Callie's a more muted dark gray with snow flakes on them – Arizona's open jacket revealed a blue sweater with a red-nosed Rudolph on the front. Plus, she wore a Christmas hat and held a moderately-sized bag, presumably containing more presents.

Of course Arizona knew the list, Callie having slipped it into her locker at the attendings's lounge. Currently both of them were hardly speaking, and mostly just communicating through short messages sent by phone. Which was awful, and took a lot of joy out of the hunt for presents for their girl.

Callie still remembered last year when they both had excitedly opened the letter together and had had a blast trying to decipher what the little drawings were meant to depict.

But not this year.

This year Callie had nervously called her the night after slipping her the letter. Glad that Arizona had picked up, seeing as the contact info on the blonde's phone now probably didn't list her as "Calliope" anymore, but more as "That bitch that tore my heart to pieces". And talking had been awkward at first. Talks that used to be so easy now sometimes were more like pulling teeth, especially where details about the divorce were concerned.

But to Callie's relief, the conversation had grown lighter after a few moments, after the talk had come to the wish list. For Arizona it had been immediately clear that they could not deny Sofia this wish.

The wish of spending Christmas morning together. The three of them. As a family.

"Merry Christmas, sweetie!" she grinned as Sofia ran into her arms. The girl excited beyond words that this wish was coming true.

Arizona and Callie shared a little smile as well.

Of course there were fears of this sending the wrong message to Sofia. Sending false hope.

But divorced parents spending time together on Christmas in a friendly way could actually be good.

"Mama, Mami is here!" Sofia nearly shouted in excitement, as she pulled her mother inside the house.

"Hey," Callie greeted Arizona with a soft voice. Thankful that she had been willing to come, despite everything.

But there seemed to be no trace of animosity on the blonde as she replied a gentle "Hi. Merry Christmas". She actually was happy to be here, even if the house held some sad memories of new hope going down the drain. But it was way better than staring at a dismal and only half-decorated tree at Alex' place and pitying herself. And spending time with her baby girl was always worth it.

"M-Merry Christmas," Callie stuttered, still unsure if Arizona had properly accepted the fact that she would be a part of this time spent with her daughter as well. But Arizona put a calming hand on her arm before any nervousness could flare up.

"So, you know, Santa dropped some of his presents at my place," she addressed Sofia, who was still grinning widely. "Guess he forgot that we would all be celebrating together," Arizona explained, as she placed the presents she had in her bag next to Callie's.

They had talked about who bought what. Because going out and buying things together would definitely be too much right now.

But as they sat down on the couch and watched Sofia excitedly go through her presents from Santa, they were confident that eventually they would find a normal routine with each other.

One where they could talk normally and calmly with each other. And spend time in the same room without a sense of sadness or anger.

Find a new normal.

And be the parents Sofia deserved.


End file.
